Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

Original poster

hv said 8.5 mth ds should be having 2 milk feeds a day or he'll never give up bfing

28 replies

Again · 26/03/2008 21:07

one in the morning and one in the evening.

As it is I lied and said that he was having 3/4 hrly feeds. This is true of the day, but he has between 5 and 10 feeds during the night (in fairness they last approx 5 minutes).

She also said to give him a cup of water during the night.

What do you think?

My husband said that instead of sneaking chocolate bars through the railings when he goes to school I'll be putting a breast through!

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 26/03/2008 21:11

Pah to her ! DS was having at least 3 hourly feeds until over 12 months, at which point he dropped feeds of his own accord so that at 22 months he's down to one feed in the morning.
Milk is supposed to be their main source of nutrition until 1 anyway

fingerwoman · 26/03/2008 21:13

what crap. so because you demand feed your small baby that means he'll NEVER give up and you'll have to feed him for the rest of his life?

she knows nothing. you should feed him however, and however much you feel is appropriate for him.

FrayedKnot · 26/03/2008 21:14

Piffle

Balderdash

Rubbish

That's what i think

To qualify I was feeding DS about 6-8 times a day at 8.5 months but by 14 months he had dropped down to one feed at night, of his own accord.

grouphug · 26/03/2008 21:15

I think she is talking absolute rubbish. Your ds is only 8 months old and milk should be his main source of food!!! My Dd is 7 months old and has 7-8 feeds a day Keep breastfeeding for as long as you want to. That is however a lot of feeds for you to be coping with at night though hopefully a bfc can give you advice on here on how to reduce those as mine only feeds at 8pm and 4am at night.

theyoungvisiter · 26/03/2008 21:15

oh how ridiculous. And potentially quite dangerous I would have thought - what if they can't take enough milk in two feeds? My DS has always been a snacker and missing feeds doesn't mean he does a mammoth one to make up.

Although I have to fess up and say that he is currently on at least 3 feeds a day and is 2 and shows NO sign of wanting to give up. So she may be right in that sense! Although still stoopid.

AMumInScotland · 26/03/2008 21:16

Has anyone actually met these mythical children who don't manage to give up bf'ing?

theyoungvisiter · 26/03/2008 21:18

The more I think about this the more bonkers it seems - it's like saying that cutting down to one meal a day will help you give up food.

lucharl · 26/03/2008 21:19

she sounds like a bonkers old school meddler.

of course he will give up bfing, but at 8.5 why is that a concern for her?

Unless you are saying that you want to give up and she is trying to help you cut down?

my dd fed at night (I honestly can't remember how often) until over 12 months, then I had enough and my hv (because I had said I wanted to) suggested cutting out the night feeds. I did, it was really easy and she then went from the two feeds you are talking about to not wanting to bf any more fairly quickly. I would have happily bf her longer morning and night but she weaned herself.

ja9 · 26/03/2008 21:23

between 5 and 10 feeds a night is a lot. you must be like the walking dead?!

lucharl · 26/03/2008 21:29

ja9 is right, that is a lot... must be tiring. But you said she didn't know about that, so I guess her advice wasn't in response to the night feeding?

Original poster
Again · 26/03/2008 21:33

The thing is lucharl, I went in there saying to myself 'now don't get into sleep or weaning with her, be strong'. I told her that he had some diarrhea, that's it! She then insisted I tell her my exact routine for the whole day and went so far as to say that milk would grow the bacteria that gave him diarrhea.

OP posts:
jaynz · 26/03/2008 21:33

My boy is 9 1/2 mo and going like a trooper. He'll feed about 2-3 hrly in the day and usually more than that at night. Albeit I am pg but my supply has not yet changed and this has been his standard pattern since birth.

What on earth else is he going to eat if you don't feed him? He can hardly go make some toast in the middle of the night!

She needs re-educating!

theyoungvisiter · 26/03/2008 21:34

well there are strategies for cutting down night feeds but I don't think you need go as far as 2 feeds a day!

Also, more importantly, do YOU want to cut down his night feeds? DS still has one or two night feeds and all my friends think I am some kind of martyr and keep offering ideas for cutting them down, but actually I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't bother me for the moment as DS and I cope fine.

Original poster
Again · 26/03/2008 21:35

No I think I might have said 'he wakes a couple of times a night'.

I am losing the plot a little. I locked us out today and yesterday I left a charity shop with a book without paying! (went back today).

Oops he's awake again (third time so far)

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 26/03/2008 21:36

oh yes I'm sure he'll still be bf at 18
ridiculous

liahgen · 26/03/2008 21:36

Bless her, she doesn't know does she?

My 10 mth old is still bf alot at night, 5/6 times so I know where you are coming from there. She feeds twice throughout the day.

Somehow, I don't think you'll be doing it come school age, so just don't tell her next time.

StealthPolarBear · 26/03/2008 21:37

sorry x post, so it is a problem? Well that is different

ALthough, and I'm willing to be corrected if wrong - there is no way your breastmilk is responsible for bacteria giving him diarrhoea!!

whomovedmychocolate · 26/03/2008 21:39

My 17 month old feeds at least three times a day. Your HV is clearly from the shallow end of the gene pool . Ignore her. You are doing fine

theyoungvisiter · 26/03/2008 21:39

No, and in fact from what I've read and was told when DS had diarrhoea, BM is a) the best source of fluid for a baby with d&V and b) has antibodies to help eradicate the bacterica and help them recover faster.

lucharl · 26/03/2008 21:40

milk would grow the bacteria that gave him diarrhea??

eh?

thought that the reason bfing was so good was that you could carry on feeding them even when they had diarrhea etc?

i definitely wouldn't tell her about the night feeds, she's bound to advise some kind of extreme routine.

But i do think 10 feeds a night must be knackering, Five would be just about doable for me but 10, no way.

whomovedmychocolate · 26/03/2008 21:45

As for breastmilk growing bacteria, the only way this would happen is if you were expressing it into a dirty bottle and leaving it a while. It comes out in a probiotic form, it is the perfect food for avoiding tummy upsets and also for treating them.

In fact when babies get diarrhea and are given rehydration salts, the only recommended addition is breastmilk. Cows milk on the other hand - yep full of bugs - but you are not a cow.....your HV on the other hand

PortAndLemon · 26/03/2008 21:48

What a load of twaddle!

Although ten feeds at night does sound a lot, and neither of you can be getting much sleep. Do you/would you cosleep?

Original poster
Again · 26/03/2008 21:53

Thanks whomovedmychocolate, I agree!

Yes I do cosleep, so it's not as bad as it sounds. In fact I think that that is part of the problem - I roll over, he feeds and then falls back asleep. It is becoming an issue though, especially since I can't go out at night because only I can put him back to sleep. Last night we went out for dinner and had to come back after the starter!

OP posts:
Original poster
Again · 26/03/2008 21:54

Oh and you can just imagine what she's got to say on blwing!

OP posts:
fishie · 26/03/2008 21:57

again (super name) don't go to see them. mine hassled me in a well meaning sort of fashion but i think was secretly relieved when she didn't have to bother any more. there is plenty of work for them.